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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · tear · cabinet · arm · fork · bear · kick · bank

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tear — from crying
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com